Lt. Robin Hopper: Thank You for the Music
Robin Hopper
((OOC Note – For the new Ensign, DM me on Discord or send me a Direct OOC (DOOC) email if you want to know more about what’s going on in this scene!))
((Amity Outpost – “The Cellar”, Shuttlebay 4))
Fortunately, the PA system’s backend was also relatively simple. There were only a handful of built-in fail points and, before long, the alert tone ceased and reverted to the same ‘hissing’ as before. With the system’s OS updated, Robin could access the settings using her PADD and adjusted the gain down until the hissing stopped.
Hopper: ::Smiling proudly:: Okay! Well, it’s a bit of a mess if you look under the hood, but she’ll play a song now!
Richards: Let’s get started then. ::smiling:: What do you like to listen to, by the way?
Robin made a dramatic face in response to Richards’ question and cocked an eyebrow.
Hopper: ::Grinning:: This is where we decide if we can be friends or not… ::Tapping at her PADD and starting a song:: …It’s a classic.
As the song began playing, Robin closed her eyes, enjoying the rhythmic bass and drums layered under the rising strings. As the singer’s falsetto kicked in, she opened her eyes and looked at Richards, curious what his reaction would be.
Richards: The Bee Gees, huh? I honestly would have never pegged you for a Disco fan. ::crossing his arms:: Well, I guess I shouldn’t make assumptions this early.
Hopper: ::Rolling her eyes playfully:: I have been told it’s an acquired taste. But then, so are Mozart, Brahms, or Zimmer. ::Shrugging:: Besides, you try dancing to “Fur Elise” and tell me that’s what makes good music.
Richards: I don’t know if I would put it as a ‘classic’ necessarily. ::smirking:: ‘Oldies’ maybe.
She smirked. oO Oldies? Practically Antiquities at this point. Oo
Hopper: You can pick the next song and then we’ll judge your taste in music, Ensign Richards.
The engineer set down his PADD and took a moment to talk with her, undistracted. She offered him the same courtesy, setting her PADD aside.
Richards: My first name is Nathan, just so you know. ::playful smile:: But I think I’m quite partial to…what was it? Oh yeah. Lover boy.
oO And here I thought you’d be telling me the next step in your shuttle restoration plan! Oh boy. Oo
Hopper: Don’t think acting cute will make me spare you, Nathan. You’re up next! Now – speaking of next… Let’s get some power running into this thing so we can boot up the old cores and get a look in there, shall we?
Richards: Coming right up!
While he fetched the temporary power cells, Robin watched with amused interest. Nathan might need some help, but he was clearly passionate about his work and had no shortage of enthusiasm or spirit. She could imagine many of the lyrics in the song applying to the ship they were working on. This was clearly “more than a shuttle to him”...
This is the only way that we should fly
This is the only way to go
And if I lose your love, I know I would die
Oh, say you'll always be my baby, we can make it shine
We can take forever, just a minute at a time
Richards: More than a woman! More than a woman to meeee!
He set the power cores into their respective homes, supplying power to the main systems. More lights came up, and the consoles around them began registering the rest of the systems and errors. Nathan looked up at Robin.
Richards: And there we go. ::smiling:: She is ready.
It had been her passion for holonovel programming that had initially led her to a career in a STEM field, even though she had eventually found her niche studying physics. Starfleet had a way of bringing out the best in people, and seeing others shining through their work would never get old for her.
Hopper: ::Smiling genuinely:: How’d you find this old girl, anyways?
Richards, no, Nathan leaned up against the frame of the bulkhead, crossing his arms.
Richards: Well, after our last mission I was sort of…In recovery. But I was getting stir crazy in my quarters, so I decided to take a walk and check on a project that Reade and I had delegated to a few Engineering Crewman to take care of while we were gone. After that I just started to wander. I found a lift and rode it down here, and there she was. Buried in the corner under a tarp and some crates.
Hopper: ::Nodding:: I didn’t want to pry… But I did hear that the last mission might have been particularly hard on you…
Richards: It’s kind of a long story.
Robin looked around at the messy shuttle interior. There were many hours of work to be done – certainly more than a single day if they were going to do it right. She leaned back in the seat and adjusted the volume of the music down a little.
Hopper: We seem to have plenty of time on our hands.
Richards: Our last mission was supposed to be pretty routine. We were escorting the Kitty Hawk on her survey mission of the Barossa Nebula. We went to scout ahead and the Independence – B was pulled into a gravity well.
Hopper: Mmm. Yes, Kivik mentioned something about this to me. I don’t remember the details, but I recall seeing a model of it up in the SRC. That must have been a unique experience.
Richards: What happened in there…::sighing:: is kind of hard to describe. There was some sort of temporal effects from the gravity well, and it duplicated the Indy. Probably a hundred times over. While we were in the process of setting up communication with the Kitty Hawk outside of the anomaly, the Kitty Hawk made an attempt of their own to try and gather information about the anomaly.
Hopper: ::Nodding as she followed the story:: Right, that makes sense.
Richards reached up with his left arm, grabbing the bicep of his prosthetic right. Robin followed the gesture with her gaze. She had noted the quality of his arm when they’d first met – it had looked like some sort of low-res field replication. She grew still and quiet as she wondered if that’s where the story was heading…
Richards: They launched a probe into the anomaly. And, like the Indy, it was duplicated. Pretty soon the place was like a war zone. For some reason, the probes tracked us and any other ship that had interacted with a mirrored version. Our ship was hit multiple times, one of them managed to detach my mag boots from the hull, sending me out into the void. That’s when I took two probes. One to my left leg, and one to the right arm. ::lifting his right arm to look at it:: It didn’t turn out in my favor.
Robin felt for him, her brow furrowed in an empathetic pout. The experience sounded traumatic. He was likely carrying more than just the physical scars of that awful nightmare with him. She stood and walked over to him, reaching out towards his arm, looking at his eyes for permission to reach out and touch it.
Hopper: ::Gingerly inspecting the arm:: Oh, Nathan… ::Looking up at him once more:: I’m so sorry that you had to experience that. I can’t imagine.
Richards: That’s why I said that this shuttle was my therapy. Carter told me that it was my priority to get this bird in the air. It keeps me going. Keeps me in check, in a manner of speaking. Helps me cope. That’s why it is so important to me.
She stared at him, feeling for him – for the pain he’d experienced and the journey of rehabilitation he still had ahead of him. She felt him staring back, the two of them locking eyes in a surprisingly-comfortable gaze.
Richards: It’s why it means so much to me that you are here to help. ::smiling::
Smiling at first, after a moment passed, Robin began to feel a wave of emotion rushing over her. Nathan’s story had been a lot to hear – but the thought of this being ‘his therapy’ and him working through all that… Well it was extraordinarily moving, and a little overwhelming.
Hopper: Pfft! Oh my god, are you kidding? Thank you for putting your trust in me with this! I mean, you barely know me – and it’s clear this shuttle means a lot to you. I’m honored.
The song came to an end. Robin looked back at the Science console and then back to Nathan.
Hopper: ::Smiling:: You’re up.
Nathan picked up his PADD and moved over to the science station next to Robin. He selected his song, hit play, and his selection began to play over the PA. He started snapping his fingers along with the song.
Richards: Now the lights go low in the avenue…And the cars pass by in the rain…
Robin listened, intrigued. It sounded to her like another ‘oldie’ – though perhaps not quite as old as her choice. She wasn’t familiar with it, but she appreciated that it wasn’t all stuffy or incomprehensible. In fact, it was pretty fun.
Nathan continued to sing along, moving along with the music. He moved towards the center of the Ops section of the shuttle, before turning around – Robin was sure to see if she approved or not.
Hopper: ::Nodding along:: Nice choice. What is it?
Richards: Response
Hopper: I’ll add them to my “check out later” list! ::Chuckling:: It’s pretty extensive at this point, but I do slowly make my way through it. Once I get my quarters sorted, you can come over and we can have a drink and listen to some music or something – ::Smirking:: see if you’re a one-hit wonder or not.
Richards: Response
She enjoyed joking with Nathan – she could already tell he had a pleasant teasing sense of humour, which agreed well with her own. But she also wanted him to understand the offer was genuine.
Hopper: Also, you know, if you ever want someone to talk to about the arm – someone with a little experience in that department… ::Knocking on her own primarily-aluminum prosthetic leg:: …It’s been a long time, but I kind of get it.
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::Shaking her head:: No, I’ve had it ever since I can remember. Had to amputate when I was born. Nothing like your experience. ::Shrugging:: But I still know what it’s like having one, learning to cope with the difference.
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::Smiling:: Alright, well, why don’t we try to get some work done while we’re here today, hmm? Judging by the state of things I think I’ll have to be back at least tomorrow – plus I’ll be splitting my time between this and another project…
Richards: Response
Hopper: It’s good to be in high-demand!
Richards: Response
TBC
